Weird GPU Noice

ExoY

I am experiencing some very weird noices from my gpu, the best comparision that comes to mind is that noice when you scratch with chalk over a black board. It most certainly does not sound healthy.

I am using a "NVIDIA GeForce RTC 2060 SUPER", which was purchased only a few month ago. This Problem does not occur with any other programm and some of the applications I use put a higher stress on the gpu. I play ESO on maximum video settings on a 2k screen with 60-100 fps and my gpu is at around 65-70% capacity. There are also no spikes during those noices.

It happens pretty much always at the loading screen into the character selection and the intitial loading screen when logging into a character. On occasion it also happens on loading screens when porting somewhere or during a reloadui.
I first encountered it on the pts during the "flames of ambition" test cycle. It was fine on live though when flames of ambition was released. It continued on pts with the Blackwood update and since the release also happens on live server (eu and na).

I have already reinstalled eso, made sure my gpu drivers are up to date, and put the video settings on minimum. No effect. Frankly I am a little worried that it might damage my gpu.

Are there any suggestions what I could try next?
Have there been some hidden graphic settings introduced in the past patches that might cause that?

Reverb

I started having problems with my GPU getting hot and kicking on max speed fans (a terrible, whirring ruckus) at the ESO character select screen and initial load screen, and occasionally on other load screens.

I stumbled upon a tidbit from @SirAndy about minframetime in the user settings. Changing that entry completely removed my GPU usage, temp, and noise issues. I hope it does the same for you.

https://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/en/discussion/comment/7270971

Nestor

Fan noise is one thing, noisy fans are another.

Try the trick above first, reducing the load will help.

But, think about your card cooler. Can you replace the fans? Or, maybe replace the cooler itself, maybe with a Liquid Cooler. Noisy fans are not going to get better, so a replacement is in your future. Maybe not today or next month, but it will be needed.

Reverb

Nestor wrote: »

Fan noise is one thing, noisy fans are another.

Try the trick above first, reducing the load will help.

But, think about your card cooler. Can you replace the fans? Or, maybe replace the cooler itself, maybe with a Liquid Cooler. Noisy fans are not going to get better, so a replacement is in your future. Maybe not today or next month, but it will be needed.

That’s a very good point. My noise issue was just fan noise, and was rooted in Too-high GPU usage and temps. That’s a much bigger problem for the health of the card than fan noise, my noise was bothersome and jarring, but was a solid, “healthy” fan sound.

What OP describes as a nails on a chalkboard noise sounds like a fan has bad bearings or isn’t seated properly. While the fan speed is probably the same root cause as my issue, there’s pretty clearly a hardware problem with their fans that needs to be assessed as well.

ExoY

Reverb wrote: »

Nestor wrote: »

Fan noise is one thing, noisy fans are another.

Try the trick above first, reducing the load will help.

But, think about your card cooler. Can you replace the fans? Or, maybe replace the cooler itself, maybe with a Liquid Cooler. Noisy fans are not going to get better, so a replacement is in your future. Maybe not today or next month, but it will be needed.

That’s a very good point. My noise issue was just fan noise, and was rooted in Too-high GPU usage and temps. That’s a much bigger problem for the health of the card than fan noise, my noise was bothersome and jarring, but was a solid, “healthy” fan sound.

What OP describes as a nails on a chalkboard noise sounds like a fan has bad bearings or isn’t seated properly. While the fan speed is probably the same root cause as my issue, there’s pretty clearly a hardware problem with their fans that needs to be assessed as well.

Thank you for your responses so far. I appreciate it.

It is an interessting idea that the source could be the fan or fan bearing.

But I did checked the gpu perfermance, temperature and fan speed and there where no spikes. Also as stated this sound only occures at this very particular situation. I do have applications running with higher gpu stress resulting in higher temperatures and fan speeds and the only way I have been able to reproduce the sound is with named eso loadingsscreens.

I also dont think it is some kind of resonanz, as i checked the fan speed during the sound and it was different each time.

But as a gpu, or the computer in general doesnt have any other moving parts logic dictats it should be the fan.
This is really puzzling for me.

Btw, I did think of another comparision:
It does sound like a squaking v-belt.

Nestor

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000BXOGHY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_glt_fabc_4CXV7WP52BVNKH78JQSM?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

If you can get to the fan shaft, this might sort it. But, more than likely you will have to pop off the cooler from the card to do that. So grab some Arctic Silver or other Thermal Paste from Amazon. 90% Rubbing Alchohol on a cotton swab will clean the existing paste.

Good luck.

Elsonso

Are you sure you are not hearing coil whine?

ExoY

Elsonso wrote: »

Are you sure you are not hearing coil whine?

That does sound quite similar.
Can coil whine also only happen at specific times or during specific operations?

Because it is definielty not a regular thing. At least normally it is so quite, that i cant here it.

During the loadingscreens it is very loud. I can hear it load and clear from the other side of the room while the TV is on.

Elsonso

Coil whine will change based on GPU load, if it is the GPU, or power demand, if it is power supply.

ExoY

Elsonso wrote: »

Coil whine will change based on GPU load, if it is the GPU, or power demand, if it is power supply.

Than it cant be it. As I stated I have tried situations with much higher load and power requierments but the sound only appeared during initial loading screens -.-

Elsonso

I'm sorry. When I said that it will change based on GPU load, I mean that the frequency will change, not that it will get worse as the GPU load increases.

So, for example, I get some good coil whine while sitting on the ESO login screen. After logging in, it goes away, but during "requesting character load", it will come back softly at near the same frequency. Once it switches to the loading screen, it goes away. When I enter the game world, I will get a soft coil whine, again. This is at a different frequency, though. (I have to turn off case fans and any ambient noise to hear any of this)

Under high GPU load, I don't hear anything.

ExoY

Elsonso wrote: »

I'm sorry. When I said that it will change based on GPU load, I mean that the frequency will change, not that it will get worse as the GPU load increases.

So, for example, I get some good coil whine while sitting on the ESO login screen. After logging in, it goes away, but during "requesting character load", it will come back softly at near the same frequency. Once it switches to the loading screen, it goes away. When I enter the game world, I will get a soft coil whine, again. This is at a different frequency, though. (I have to turn off case fans and any ambient noise to hear any of this)

Under high GPU load, I don't hear anything.

Ok, that sounds very similar to my situation. Thank you for your responds

Arcanasx

This started happening to me as well ever since the blackwood update. Sometimes my anti surge will even shut off the computer at the character select screen; that hasn't happened before until now.

Elsonso

Arcanasx wrote: »

This started happening to me as well ever since the blackwood update. Sometimes my anti surge will even shut off the computer at the character select screen; that hasn't happened before until now.

That almost sounds like a power supply issue, unless your surge protector isn't good enough or is failing.